1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical instruments and more specifically it relates to an endoscopic bite block system increasing the speed and efficiency of an endoscopic procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Medical instruments have been in use for years. Typically, medical instruments vary greatly in configuration depending on what procedure that the medical instruments are utilized. One such procedure that medical instruments are utilized are endoscopic procedures.
During an endoscopic procedure a bite block tool is generally utilized to allow access to the interior of hollow organs, such as but not limited to the esophagus, stomach or respiratory tract. The bite block tool prevents patients from biting down on the medical instruments, wherein the medical instruments are generally very expensive. Generally bite block tools include a center main opening to allow entrance of the endoscope and at least one side opening to allow easier breathing for the patient.
While performing an endoscopic procedure it is generally required that a physician assistant must hold a suction catheter in the patient's mouth to accumulate excessive saliva. During this time the physician assistant must also perform many other duties, wherein steadily holding the suction catheter can become a nuisance and also very difficult. The suction catheter may easily fall out of the patient's mouth during the endoscopic procedure which can greatly slow down the endoscopic procedure and cause discomfort for the patient and physician-operator from the accumulation of saliva.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for increasing the speed and efficiency of an endoscopic procedure. It can be very difficult to maintain steady positioning of the various tubes (i.e. suction catheter, endoscope, etc.) necessary during an endoscopic procedure. Misdirecting or losing grip of the tubes during the procedure can greatly slow down the procedure and cause discomfort in the patient.
In these respects, the endoscopic bite block system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the speed, efficiency and comfort of an endoscopic procedure.